India-EU summit: Both sides commit to jointly fight terrorism
India and the EU adopted a Joint Statement on Cooperation in Combating Terrorism on Friday during the 14th India-EU summit in New Delhi. The two sides expressed their commitment to fight terrorism "in all its forms and manifestations, based on a comprehensive approach." The joint statement on terrorism came after a meeting between PM Narendra Modi and various EU leaders.
During the India-EU Summit, Modi met President of the European Council, Donald Tusk and President of the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker. The joint statement comes amid an increase in terror attacks in Europe. The statement condemned terror attacks in India and Europe, in Pathankot, Uri, Nagrota, Anantnag, Srinagar, Paris, Brussels, Nice, Berlin, London, Stockholm, Manchester, and Barcelona.
"The leaders called for the effective implementation of existing international commitments on countering terrorism, including the UN Global Counter Terrorism Strategy, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and targeted sanctions relating to terrorism,'' the joint statement said.
The joint-statement didn't mention Pakistan but did call for greater India-EU cooperation in taking decisive action against internationally recognized terrorist individuals and groups. The groups named include Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Hizbul-Mujahideen, Haqqani Network, and global terrorist organizations al-Qaeda and ISIS. Anti-India LeT leaders and 26/11 Mumbai attack perpetrators Hafeez Saeed and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi were also named.
